Election Issues in Alberta

Smoky Lake Signal Article No. 204 (January 18, 2012)

Whispering in the Wind

Albertans will be going to the polls somewhere between March 1 and May 31 and that means all of Alberta’s political parties are scurrying around the province trying to determine what Albertans want in terms of a government – and from that, what has to be put in platform statements to get votes. As I wrote in last week’s column, the major issues facing Alberta in this election are: healthcare; property rights and the transportation / upgrading of Alberta’s natural resources. That’s not to say that other issues won’t crop up during the campaign; I’m sure some will be contentious, and even dangerous, particularly for individual candidates. If the three issues identified aren’t addressed in a party’s platform with concrete, measurable strategies (i.e. solutions) then that party (and yes, the candidate representing that party) is not worthy of support, or a vote. Let me give the reader some impressions of the three issues that I’ve identified:

HEALTHCARE –
To say that healthcare in Alberta isn’t a complex, costly issue is a major understatement and I’m sure there have been tons of studies undertaken to find solutions. From my perspective the first thing that has to be understood is that healthcare in Alberta is part of the Canadian healthcare system and that makes it even more complex and yes, even more costly. I know I’m skating on some thin ice but let me give you a two impressions that, in my view need clarification from the political types seeking office. First, Alberta’s healthcare system is fraught with layer upon layer of decision making administration. At one point in time Alberta had one department of health, today there is some sort of “super board” as well as a department of health, as well as a number of regions and zones, each with advisory groups, all with authority and little responsibility – the bureaucracy is getting far too complex for me to understand or appreciate. Another area of healthcare that requires a lot of explanation is the exorbitant cost of drugs which I understand to be a huge factor in healthcare cost increases. I understand that addressing the cost of drugs issue means changing national patent laws which is clearly within federal authority and responsibility. Healthcare is mind boggling but it is apart of Canada’s national framework, so what I expect from Alberta’s political parties and the candidates is a stated strategy, a plan on how healthcare costs can be contained, controlled and possibly reduced.

PROPERTY RIGHTS –
The property rights question is of particular interest to many rural Albertans. I also suspect that both Alison Redford and Danielle Smith view the issue as being pivotal to success at the polls. To address the property rights question and find “solutions”, Premier Redford established a task force of six cabinet ministers and two MLAs, including our own Jeff Johnson, Minister of Infrastructure. The task force visited ten communities (Grimshaw, Grande Prairie, St. Paul, Weslock, Olds, Rocky Mountain House, Brooks, Hanna, Medicine Hat and Lethbridge). I went to the session in St. Paul and from my perspective the hundred or so participants were well informed, knew the property rights issue and offered reasoned, thought out recommendations. Whether “solutions” comes out of Premier Redford’s consultative process is a good question, for that, we’ll have to wait until sometime in February or March. As a footnote to the St. Paul session that I attended – I felt that the agricultural community was well represented and was crystal clear in its message to the Redford Ministers: when it comes to property rights; level the playing field for agriculture opposite the corporate giants and if that’s not going to happen, accept the consequences at the polls.

TRANSPORTATION, UPGRADING ALBERTA RESOURCES –
Over the past four or five months news broadcasts have featured shipment of Alberta bitumen to faraway markets as a scary, unwanted economic exercise – this is done at a time when most of North America is struggling with economic recession. First, the approval of Keystone XL pipeline proposal has been delayed for (so called) environmental reasons – actually the clock is again ticking on was an obvious political decision and the US President Obama will have to make another decision by the end of February – so look for more delaying tactics, so that an actual decision can be further delayed until after the US presidential elections in November. Second, the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline proposal is in some kind of limbo because of aboriginal objections in Canada. The Enbridge proposal will cross something like 50 or 60 First Nation protected areas – and that opens up a real can of worms for the Prime Minister In the meantime Premier Redford is facing an election, so all she can say publicly is that Canada needs a National Energy Strategy. In my mind I think Premier Redford can say a lot more when it comes to the development of Alberta’s oilsands and the further diversification of Alberta’s economy. I simply refer to Jeff Johnson’s “unofficial” paper entitled: “Upgrading Alberta’s Future” and sub-titled “Securing Long-term Economic Opportunities Through Adding Value to Bitumen”.